Tiruchirappalli (TN), Jan 29: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has identified rich deposits of minerals, including graphite in Tamil Nadu, a senior official said here today.

Graphite deposits have been detected in Sivaganga district. The quantum was 6.4 lakh tonnes in Arasanur block and this was in addition to five lakh tonnes of graphite already under exploitation by Tamin (Tamilnadu Mineral Trading Corporation).

Similarly, in North Kerala's Kasargode region bauxite mineral has been detected.

Furthermore, diamond and gold deposits also detected in south India.

"As an offshoot of recent surveys conducted in the region, availability of diamonds and other lucrative mineral deposits have been explored in the south," Dr S K Bhushan, Deputy Director General (Southern Region) of GSI said today.

In Andhra Pradesh's Thimmasamudram, the geologists have identified rich deposits of diamonds along the stretch of 200 sq kms of kimberlite rock sites, he told reporters on the sidelines of an International conference on rural water, life and environment at Bharatidasan University here.

Diamond weighing about 65 carats could be segregated per 100 tonnes of rock materials here. The speciality found at Thimmasamudram was the presence of gem variety diamonds accounting to the tune of 70 per cent of the total contents.

GSI experts have discovered diamond crystals with extra-ordinary transparency structure and minimum undesirable spots.

In another breakthrough, GSI has found out deposits of platinum-related minerals in Karnataka's Hanumalapuram in Chitradurgah district. From the minerals, either platinum or palladium could be segregated at a ratio of one gram per one tonne and GSI is continuing its explorations. "The economic viability is quite favourable even with six bores drilled in the region with spacing of 200 meters between them", he said.

GSI scientists have even identified specimens of four grams extractions of the metal out of one tonnage of excavated materials. According to the international standards, even 0.5 gram extraction was the cut-off level.

have been identified and the commercial viability was yet to be examined, Bhushan said.